Legends Of Magic
by The Thunderstruck Tiger
Summary: An ancient prophecy speaks of a young boy, destined for greatness. But that does not mean having a great life. He must face challenges and be brave in the face of adversity. However, no one said you have to be alone...
1. Birth Of The Legends

This story began a few years ago. Perhaps long (or maybe right) before even our friend was born.

An ancient prophecy was created by an old and wizened (but immortal) warlock, stating that the birth of a particular boy will bring peace and prosperity throughout the lands. The conditions of the birth are as such: the boy must be born under the full moon; he must have a twin sister, who looked almost like him and most importantly, he must be born under the Leo constellation.

And that was what had happened. A frail-looking woman with an indescribable type of blue eyes was lying on her bed, gasping for air. Her dark red hair falling in sweaty waves on the pillows propped up behind her. Clutching the hand of her panicky husband, she did as she was told by the nurses, and_ pushed. _Howling in pain, tears gushing down her cheeks, she did it: her first ever newborn. It was not over, however. Pain lanced through her once again. Again, she pushed, pushed, and _pushed_. Perseverance finally paid off as the second cry punctured the tense room. The nurses cleaned everything quickly and brought her babies to her. The woman smiled at her two _beautiful_ babies.

She placed a hand on each of their foreheads and murmured four words," Kyoya Tategami, Azula Tategami."

Then, she laid back and let out her last breath. Her husband, who knew this would happen, leaned forwards and placed his lips on his wife's forehead, before bursting into tears. He stood up and stumbled to the room where the nurses had put them in. Laying his hazel eyes on the two vulnerable babies, he took out a dagger from beneath his cloak, murmured something to it, and carefully carved on their faces. They slept on, unaware that their faces were being mutilated by their own father. The boy received two cross-shaped scars under both his eyes, while the girl got an L-shaped scar, running from her forehead, over her right eye and down her right cheek. His work done, the man; their father; Murai Tategami, left the small village house, heart burning with grief, rage and the most poisonous of all, _vengeance_.

He knew of the prophecy. He knew of the great power both his children possess. He knew his beloved wife will die giving birth. But killing those two will not satisfy _anything_. He would have to wait until they are old enough to take him on. He will show them. No one messed with Murai Tategami, the feared leader of Black Tiger Clan, and get away with it. Tomorrow, he will give the order to banish the babies, and whoever that dared to take care of them.

"What is the meaning of this? Where have those two rats gone?" Murai thundered.

"W-we don't know, Sire. We turned around to keep something and when we turn back, they have gone!" One of the nurses stammered.

'_Someone knew of my plan, and decided to rescue them. Whoever it was, he will pay!' _Murai thought savagely.

Meanwhile, deep within a mountain not far from where the Black Tiger Clan resided, the old warlock watched over the two sleeping forms and smiled.

"Kyoya will bring peace, which the lion seeks. Your bravery will be your ally; your fears will be your foe. Your leadership qualities will be your guide, yet your stubbornness will be your undoing. Never tread on the path of evil, young warrior. Azula will, in many ways, be both your destiny and your doom. Your actions will decide which path Azula will take. Follow your hearts, my children, and you may see the brightness of your mother's heart, and the darkness, of your father's. Fulfil your destiny, as what the prophecy had stated. Free this world, of evil."

And this is where, the story of the legend starts.


	2. The Visions

**Oh yeah, before I forget, I would like to say that I haven't really plotted out the whole story yet. I just go with the flow. So, the chapters may seem inconsistent. Anyway, you didn't click on the title to watch me blab, right? Continue reading! Special thanks to all those who bothered to read and review!**

**Disclaimer (**_**is**_** there a need for this? I don't know, better be safe than sorry, right?) : I do not own anything or anyone in this story. Azula is the name of the evil Fire Nation princess. (I only took the name! They are completely different!)**

**So, on with the story!**

*Twelve years later*

"Are you _positively sure_ this is the right place?"

"Azula, how many times must I repeat myself? Please! For once in your life, _just trust me_." Kyoya finally snapped at his younger twin sister. He had had enough of her questioning every single thing that he said, do or even think of.

The duo had been exploring the entire day. Both felt that they needed to get away from the hullaballoo of Golden Lion Clan, where they had been brought all their lives. They had no idea of the identity of their biological parents, as no one knew; or rather not disclose the information. However, the one who had taken them into her heart was Ymelda, the compassionate, caring, widow who had lost every single person she loved to what they call, 'The Great Calamity'. Many people, wizards or not, lost their lives during that terrible war period. The war may be over, but Golden Lion Clan feared that their rival clan, Black Tiger Clan, had just grown a tad too suspicious, and secretive. They knew, and felt that said clan would rise again in darkness.

However, that 'little piece of information', according to Kyoya, did not scare him. In fact, it motivated him to learn more about their rival clan: and that was why the two of them were in the middle of the forest, clutching a _very _old map of the surrounding area, looking for the battlefield of the war.

"You know, I think we're lost. Admit it, Kyoya. Even your mediocre spells can't get us out of here." Azula griped. Kyoya merely ignored his sister's statement and went about studying his surroundings. The forest clearing seemed to be a good place for a battle, except he wondered why the two clans battled there. He could actually _feel _the tranquillity of the place, the spiritual, well, feeling radiating around him. No one in their right minds would battle at such a peaceful place.

"Don't tell me you can't feel it."Kyoya finally murmured.

"What? Feel what?"

"I don't know….. I just get this peaceful feeling, don't you?"

Azula stared at her brother. She had no inkling of what he was trying to do or say, but she had bigger fish to fry.

"You know what? I'm going back. _Feel_ all you want. I have better things to do." Without another word, she stalked off, with the map. Kyoya watched her leave, sighed and sat down cross-legged on the ground. He loved meditating, and thought that meditating where he was now might be a good chance to clear his overcrowded mind. He closed his eyes.

Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Kyoya finally felt his mind clearing, but something else happened. When he opened his eyes, the green scenery around him was gone. Nothing. Just pitch-black darkness.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed around the room (_was_ it a room?) and the room, or whatever it was became brighter and brighter as a large golden lion stalked towards him- blue eyes blazing with determination. Then, another roar, and another form stalked towards him, except that this time, it was a black tiger. He glared at him, claws unsheathed, when Kyoya heard an eerie voice,

"_The lion will be thwarted not by his enemies, but by his dark past"_

"Kyoya! Kyoya! Wake up, now!"

Hands were slapping his face. His steel-blue eyes snapped open and he sat up. Azula was kneeling next to him, the same shade of blue eyes glaring at him. Kyoya stared around, taking note of what might have happened.

"You fainted, idiot."Azula snapped.

"You're doing it again! Stop reading my mind!"Kyoya growled.

"It's not mind-reading, it's the-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. The spiritual power gifted to you by the you-know-who from the who-knows-where. Blah, blah, blah. Why are you here, anyway? I thought you're going back?"

"I _was_ going back but when you didn't follow me I thought something might be up." Was her reply, but Kyoya smirked.

"So you _do_ care for me after all…. How very touching."

"Don't be so full of yourself. What was that anyway?" When Kyoya merely looked confused, Azula continued," I heard it, well, in your mind. 'The lion will not be thwarted' thingy; what was it about?"

Kyoya simply shrugged. "I don't know and I don't care. C'mon, we don't want to worry Ymelda."

Brother and sister set off quickly homewards, thoughts of what had happened still spinning around their heads.

The weeks passed without anything extraordinary happening, unless if you counted the time when Azula put earthworms into Kyoya's porridge and it led to an exchange of incantations and flying objects. (Especially sharp ones) Ymelda had had a hard time restraining those two. In the end, she made sure they were given some drudgery to do- for five weeks. They were made to do what you would rather die than do: scrubbing the floors, mucking out the horses, feeding the cattle (and cats), tending to the elderly, cleaning _their_ toilets, chopping wood, hanging out the laundry and many more. By the end of the first 'punishment week', the twins were so exhausted that they could not even get up from their beds.

"I hope you have learned your lessons, both of you. I've said it before, now I'll say it again: Fighting doesn't solve anything. Violence is never the answer. Yet, I still think a particular _someone_ owes her brother an apology?" Ymelda stared coldly at Azula, who pouted, but apologised (grudgingly) anyway. "Well, that done, I will shorten your punishment to three weeks. Yes," She added menacingly at the looks of disbelief and horror on the twins' faces."Two more weeks of hard work shall do the trick. Now you get to appreciate what others have to go through. Work continues at dawn tomorrow. Don't be late." Ymelda exited the room after that.

"This is your entire fault. If you haven't put those bloody worms into my food, this wouldn't have happened." Kyoya snarled.

"Oh. MY fault? Who's the one that went ballistic? Who started the fight?"Azula challenged.

"Uh, technically, you did, because _you_ put those worms into what I was going to eat. _You _made me angry. Whatever. I'm not wasting my energy squabbling with you." With that, Kyoya turned on his other side and fell silent. Azula laid on her back and stared up at the dusty ceiling.

"AARGH!"

Azula leaped up from her bed, her head swivelling to the left and right, searching for the source of the noise. When she found it, she received a very nasty shock.

Kyoya was sitting on his bed, his back straight, his entire form stock-still: but what scared Azula was the fact that Kyoya's eyes were wider than anything she had ever seen, and they were not blue; in fact, they had turned a fiery shade of golden. Once again, she heard the same eerie voice she had heard some weeks before in Kyoya's mind, but this time, the words were different.

"_Create friends before you create enemies."_

Without warning, Kyoya slumped backwards in his bed. Azula was left dumbfounded.

'What in the world does that mean?'

**Whew! Never written that much before! Hope you like it. Though this chapter feels sort of crappy, don't y'think? Sigh…. Guess I'll never be as good as DragonFang2011. (She's my favourite!)**

**I have a special request. Remember the old warlock? He'll be returning (I hope) somewhere later in the story. Problem is, I don't have a name for him! So if you do have one, put it in the review! Or PM me.**

**Things to note for the naming:**

**Must be wizardy or ancient-sounding like Emrys, or Merlin or even Dumbledore! XD**

**Try including the letter 'Z' cuz that's my favourite letter! (Optional)**

**Must sound badass! No Exceptions! ;D **

The person whom I chose the name from will receive…Virtual Cookies, Ice Cream and MY FAVOURITE: CHOCOLATES!

Happy thinking! Once again ,thanks for reading this crap!


	3. The Last Dragonkeeper

**Really sorry for the long wait. (If you had been waiting. :P) Writer's Block + Household Chores + CCA + Upcoming Band Concert + Poor Grades ( And Getting Poorer!) = No Time For Computer And Writing. Concert's on 5****th**** September. *cries***

**Hope this chapter makes up for everything!**

**Spoiler: The title may give you a clue of who's coming in this chapter ;)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own MFB AT ALL. Not even Azula! *cries again* I only own the plot.**

**More notes at the end of the chapter!**

Ever since the earthworm incident, Kyoya had grown even more paranoid than ever and began to treat his food with caution before consuming them. Fortunately for him, he had discovered a spell – more specifically, a revealing spell where any object, human or earthworm had to reveal themselves. Now, he no longer needed to sniff his food to detect anything suspicious, where this habit had earned him the nickname 'Paranosia' by his dear sweet sister, Azula. Apparently, Kyoya was not the only person traumatised by that incident. Ymelda now had to fight the urge of locking up all sharp objects and weapons, ranging from toothpicks and needles to spears and swords. She would no longer trust to let the twosome sit together in a room without her supervision. She would always find an excuse to separate those two. (Not that she needed to anyway.)

So that was how Kyoya ended up in his village elder's house, running a supposed 'errand' for Ymelda. The village elder, Muramasa, was once a very skilled swordsman. He used to work as a knight in the neighbouring kingdom, Draca. Retiring at fifty, he moved to the outskirts of the kingdom and founded Golden Lion Clan, whilst his good friend founded Black Tiger Clan. Unfortunately, a feud broke out due to several dissents and that led to The Great Calamity. The war went on for several years until Muramasa, with a heavy heart, slayed his once good friend on the battlefield. Black Tiger Clan retreated, and was silent for ten whole years. Then, rumours began spread that a new leader had risen and Black Tiger Clan will rise along with him. However, the new leader had not made his presence known yet, so Golden Lion Clan was in the dark.

Muramasa, now a centenarian, or to be exact, a hundred and eight years old, smiled benignly at Kyoya, who was seated on the other side of the table. Kyoya was taken aback, but returned the smile anyway.

"My dear boy, you are here on an errand, are you not?" Muramasa queried. When Kyoya nodded, he chuckled and continued," Well, young man, you are not running an errand for Ymelda. In fact, it is for me."

Completely surprised by now, and who knows what else could describe his feelings. Kyoya kept mum.

"You are to head to Infinity Mountain and report back to me on its status quo in three days time. Are you willing to do that for me?" Muramasa eyed Kyoya with anticipation.

Finally finding his voice, Kyoya managed to croak a 'Yes, sir' before losing it again.

"Good. Bring Azula along. Get ready and report here by evening."

***Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

"Are you _sure_ that's what he said?"

"Azula, one more question and I'm not bringing you along, got it?" Kyoya snapped waspishly.

"Okay, I was just confirming….."

It was near evening. The twins have just packed what they needed, and was standing at the door waiting for Ymelda to quit fussing over them.

"Now, don't fight. Remember what I always say-"

"Fighting doesn't solve anything….." The twins quoted simultaneously.

"- and look out for each other. I love you." Ymelda finished.

"Wait, why do you sound like we're leaving for good? It's only for three days."Azula reasoned

Ymelda merely smiled with tears in her eyes and enveloped both of them in a bone-crushing hug, muttering, "Goodbye."

***Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

"Have a meaningful journey, my children. Goodbye…." Muramasa murmured to the retreating backs of the twins as they rode on horses towards Infinity Mountain.

***Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

"You know, I have a bad feeling about this." Kyoya uttered quietly.

For the first time in their lives, Azul actually did not contradict or tease Kyoya for being a worrier. In fact, she admitted to feeling the same.

Infinity Mountain was a good ten miles away. Hoping to cover at least half of the journey before midnight, their paces never slowed. Kyoya had conjured a fire and lit a torch to light the way.

A few hours later, they decided to set up camp. Once everything was done, they lay on a pile of blankets and tried to get to sleep.

"….. Kyoya?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember those visions you had? A few months ago?"

"I told you I don't want to talk about them anymore."

"I know. But, don't you think there's a reason why you had those visions?"

Kyoya sighed. "I don't, Azula. I just don't know."

***Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

They were up and moving by daybreak. The horses trotted quickly non-stop for a few more hours until Azula cried out, "There it is!"

They stopped their horses and looked a distance away. Sure enough, the peak of Infinity Mountain could be seen a few miles away. It towered over everything else that stood near it. They fully understand now why it was named as such.

"That's a BIG mountain…" Kyoya commented.

Not wanting to waste any more time, they continued riding. They rode and rode until they reached the Lake of A Thousand Tears. It was a huge lake that surrounds almost the entire base of Infinity Mountain. Kyoya dismounted his horse and stood near the edge of the Lake, examining its depth. It was a little too deep for the horses to wade in. In the end, he concluded that they would have to leave the horses behind and continue on their own. Azula led the two horses away and tied them to a nearby tree. That done, she joined Kyoya who was still standing by the lake.

"What do you expect us to do? Swim there?" Azula grumbled.

Kyoya, who had his eyes closed, ignored her. Azula rolled her eyes, knowing that it was pointless to try to get a word out of her brother while he was meditating.

Suddenly, Kyoya's eyes snapped open. He raised his right arm in front of him and whispered," _Alotto Eriayka."_

As he chanted the spell, his eyes turned a deeper shade of blue for a moment before returning back to the normal steel blue.

Nothing happened at first, but as Azula watched the lake closely, a long sheet of everlasting ice began to form from where they were standing to the other side, creating a flat bridge, made entirely out of ice, floating immobile on the water.

They crossed the bridge quickly, and made it to the other side. Sadly, their relief was short-lived, for someone shot an arrow that could have hit Azula had she not slowed it down by magic and moved out of the way. The twins looked around for the archer when a figure stepped up from behind a cluster of trees.

He had snow white hair, except for a streak of red on the left side of his head. He had tanned skin and a bloody, murderous look in his golden eyes. He had on a long black robe which was tattered and torn everywhere. A strange headpiece on his forehead, shaped like a dragon, glinted in the sunlight. What was worst was the fact that his arrow was pointing straight to Kyoya's heart.

"Who are you? How did you cross the lake? Only someone who has magic can cross it. Speak up!" He spat.

Feeling wrathful himself at being spoken to in such manner, Kyoya spoke calmly," I am Kyoya Tategami and this is my sister Azula. Both of us have magic and we-"But he was cut off by the strange boy.

"Kyoya? Azula? Oh,so you finally came. I have been waiting for you."

"You were expecting us? How and why?" Azula interjected.

"They didn't tell you? Then I shouldn't, too. My name is Ryuga. I am a Dragonkeeper. The last one there is." He added a bit bitterly.

"But we were told that all the Dragonkeepers and dragons were killed during the Calamity. You and I weren't even born yet at that time. So how did you come about?" Kyoya challenged. He could not and would not believe that this Ryuga could be a Dragonkeeper. How could he, when all of them died more than twenty years ago? Anyway, Ryuga appeared to be no older than the twins themselves.

Ryuga glowered at him," You don't believe me? Watch this….. "He lowered his head for a moment, looked up at the sky and shouted," _O Draka! Aylantho, Aresta Ekumeth Arella!_" It was a spell unlike any the twins have ever heard or learned. Ryuga smirked at their expressions as the wind rose suddenly and the sound of flapping wings became prominent. A growl thundered overhead and a large four-legged black dragon landed next to Ryuga.

"You are not showing off again, I hope, Ryuga?" The black dragon spoke in a weary voice. It had black scaly skin, large, leathery wings, golden eyes and spikes running from below its long neck all the way to the tip of its tail. Claws glinted in the sunlight. It had a powerful, ancient voice which gave Kyoya the impression that it had lived for more than a thousand years.

"Not showing off, no. Just _proving something_." Ryuga answered with a smirk." You want to know why? Because _some people_ did not believe I really am the Dragonkeeper."

"A little humility and modesty is encouraged, for without it, your head will be considered too big for your shoulders." The dragon reprimanded Ryuga. Then, he turned to the twins," I am The Black Dragon, Drazil. The last of my kind." He bowed his head. The twins bowed back.

"Perhaps you want to know the real reason why you are here?" Drazil questioned.

"The_ real_ reason?"

"Yes. I think it would be better to climb the mountain first. Get on my back." Drazil ordered.

Once everyone had made themselves comfortable on Drazil's back, he took off.

**Yay! Finally!**

**I was thinking of adding more, but thought better. I mean this may be a good tease for the next chapter. (If you like it anyway.)**

**If you want to see the twins' profile, check out MY profile… cuz their profile is on my profile. Geddit? Hehe. *Cricket sounds* Never mind.**

**The spells are completely made up, though some words were chosen from the Old English.**

**There are a few spoilers for the story. I've added them to my profile. Just to let you know.**

**Thanks A LOT for clicking on the title, reading my story, and reviewing!**


	4. The Beginning Of The End

**I'M STILL ALIVE! The band concert wasn't so bad! I won't say I nailed it, since there were some parts I failed to play. (I play the clarinet). Anyway, enjoy! (If you can)**

**Thank you dreamlily and BlackCatNeko999 for your support!**

**Disclaimer: MFB in no way belongs to me.**

Nothing… _nothing_, could compare to this.

Kyoya had never felt like this before. Well, maybe because he had never flown before, but that was not really an option. Exhilaration coursed through his veins; he had never felt so…. so _alive_. It was as if he belonged there, in the sky, with the wind ruffling his hair about. Not being able to contain the feeling any longer, he spread his arms wide and let it all out," Wooooooooooooohooooooooooo!"

Azula, on the other hand, had the decency to stay quiet, though she too felt just as Kyoya had. However, she still could not get her mind off Drazil's words,

'_Perhaps you want to know the real reason why you are here?'_

_What_ was the real reason?

***Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

Drazil landed in huge cave inside the mountain. Everyone dismounted and Ryuga immediately muttered," Newbies…." Kyoya heard, but decided to dismiss it, for now. Drazil did too, but did not let Ryuga off so easily.

'Once again, the Dragonkeeper being put in his rightful place.' Kyoya thought savagely. Azula smirked.

Once Drazil was done chastising the now-seriously-wrathful Ryuga, he lay down sphinx-like on the ground and closed his eyes for a moment. Ryuga stalked off deeper into the cave mumbling curses of which the most polite were 'Damn them all to hell' and 'a bunch of midgets'.

Drazil finally opened his eyes, and the look he gave Kyoya made him not feel, or even think, but _know_ that the 'real reason' he was going to talk about did not carry good news.

"How do I even begin…" Drazil whispered. Azula, tired of waiting, sat down and motioned for Kyoya to do the same. He obeyed and sat down next to her.

"Let us just put it this way. You were sent here because Muramasa wanted to protect you." Drazil started.

"Protect us… from what?" Azula asked with dread.

"… Black Tiger Clan."

Kyoya jumped up. "Black Tiger Clan attacked our home? When?" He was beside himself with fury. Why had they sent them away? Had all the training they had done been for nothing?

"I believe, hours after you left. Please understand. Muramasa told you to leave because the enemy was after you. The leader of Black Tiger Clan had found out where you had been living all these years and seek out to destroy you. Had he not sent you away, you could have been killed."

"But what has the leader got do with us? Have we done anything to offend him?" Azula cried.

"In his eyes, yes." Drazil said in an undertone.

Kyoya, who was rendered speechless after his outburst, suddenly spoke up," Take us back.'

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm not letting them fight on their own."

"No." It was not Drazil who spoke, but Ryuga, who was leaning against the cave wall a few feet away.

"I beg your pardon?" Kyoya asked in a would-be calm voice.

"You heard me. We're not letting you go back." Ryuga smirked.

"Anyway, I am afraid it is already too late. They have lost the fight." Drazil informed them in a quiet voice.

Shock flitted for a moment across the twin's faces."How did you know?" Azula croaked.

Drazil gave her a sad look. "They lost even before you left."

***Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

They surveyed the destruction before them. What was before, a thriving, happy village now lay in ruins due to one act. The twins walked around, hoping beyond hope that at least someone, somehow, survived.

Drazil had decided that it was safe for the twins to return, so he brought them there. He and Ryuga had spread out to search for survivors but the look on their faces clearly told Kyoya that it was pointless.

'Ymelda', Kyoya suddenly thought. Both he and Azula shared a glance before sprinting towards their home.

It was a dreadful sight. Nothing was left standing. Everything was reduced to a pile of dust, or more specifically, a pile of debris. Not thinking of giving up, Kyoya began to dig through the rubble.

"Kyoya. Stop. It's useless. Everyone's dead." Ryuga told them flatly, who had joined them moments ago.

"No! They are NOT dead! Not Ymelda!" Kyoya screamed. Tears spilled from Azula's eyes at her brother's outburst. He continued digging with his bare hands, and Azula joined him. Ryuga watched the duo work and surprisingly, stepped forward to help.

'Ymelda, don't be dead. Please don't be dead.' Azula thought desperately.

As if on cue, a low groan emitted from beneath the debris they had been digging through. They dug even faster and uncovered an arm - Ymelda's left arm. Crying tears of joy, the twins dug even faster until they uncovered Ymelda's entire body. She smiled at the sight of them. Ryuga stood up and retreated to give them a little privacy.

"My…. children," she gasped. Azula pulled her towards herself so that Ymelda's head was resting on her lap.

"How… how did you escape?" Kyoya croaked.

"I… saw how…. they took down my clan mates. They… chanted spells…. that… that could disintegrate anyone…. whom the…. spells were directed to. Muramasa… d-disappeared…I-I was scared…. I ran…. and hid here…. I'm such a coward." Ymelda sobbed.

"You are NOT a coward, Ymelda."Azula whispered fiercely.

Ymelda shook her head weakly."I…. am. I ran… when others needed me-"

"But what can you do? Your only option was to run! And you took it!" Kyoya interrupted.

"They found me anyway. They… they knew who… I was….and put another…. spell on me. I…. don't know what it does…. but I feel….weaker….every second…"

"Ymelda…." Kyoya pleaded.

"Listen closely… What you may discover in this world…. will either tear you apart…. or bring you closer than ever before. But…. when you do reach that path… always think… Sometimes… you may feel… like just letting go… but hold on. Hold on to your life….. even if it's easier to just let go. That… choice…. will never…. fail…you…." Ymelda mumbled weakly before closing her eyes.

"Ymelda!"

***Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

"She had been a brave woman, a good friend. It is sad that she had to leave this way." Drazil sighed, watching the mound of earth that they had piled up over Ymelda's body. Kyoya and Azula had been unable to face the burial and sat silently a distance away. Ryuga and Drazil had debated that it would be more respectful to bury Ymelda next to the remains of her house, where she had lived in and died in.

Now, they were faced with another problem: Where to hide the twins? Infinity Mountain was not an option because the enemy could find them easily, even if it was a huge mountain. In the meantime, they tried to get some sleep in one of the houses that were still, amazingly, standing. Drazil kept watch while the three humans tried to sleep.

Kyoya was rudely awakened by the sound of voices – people were chanting spells at one another. He stood up immediately and rushed out of his hiding place – only to find his progress hindered. Azula was standing in front of a pile of rocks blocking the entrance of the run-down house. It had been blocked by magic, apparently, as none of the spells Azula had used worked.

"Why won't these work? _Tospringe!_" Azula shrieked exasperatedly. Nothing happened.

"What happened? Why can't we get out?" Kyoya asked.

"How should I know? Maybe that idiot Ryuga blocked us. I woke up when I heard fighting but couldn't get out."

Suddenly, the pile of rocks crumbled and tumbled down and there stood Ryuga. His tattered robes now did nothing to cover him up completely. Dried blood was splattered across his face. Behind him, the twins heard Drazil's loud roars and his fire-breathing.

"Come on! Get out of there!" Ryuga barked.

"What do you think we had been trying to do?" Azula yelled back. Kyoya wasted no time arguing and ran out. Azula followed closely.

Although Drazil was badly outnumbered, he managed to take down half of the contingent attacking him. Drazil turned around, grabbed Ryuga, Azula and Kyoya and flew off.

Kyoya looked back, and thought he saw a mirror image of himself looking back up at him. Kyoya did not tear his eyes off the man until he became a tiny speck on the earth. They flew all the way back to Infinity Mountain, where they landed in the same cave that they went in a few days ago.

"We are heading to Draca. You have to seek refuge there. It is no longer safe here. Ryuga, go with them. Protect them." Drazil lowered his voice and whispered to Ryuga," You know how important they are." Ryuga gave a single nod.

"But….." Kyoya started.

"Listen to me. It is too late, understand? This is as far as I can help you. Draca is the safest place for you now. Just promise me one thing: Do not get into trouble, as trouble attracts attention. You do not want that, do you?" Drazil spoke hurriedly. The twins shook their heads and Drazil brought them into the Forest of Draca, which thrived in the outskirts of Draca itself.

"We will meet again. I can promise you that." Drazil said and took off immediately. The threesome began walking towards Draca, hoping for the best.

**I'm not proud of this chapter. I am VERY sorry if you are disappointed, but the stress the concert had put me through is overwhelming. Now that it is over, I have to concentrate on HOMEWORK. Come on, teachers, I know you want us to do well on exams, but the week-long holiday is for us to REST, not slave over homework. Secondary school is tough, and the kids who are taking PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) this year think they have it rough, running away from home or trying to commit suicide.**

**I was listening to Easier To Run by Linkin Park while typing the chapter…. Depressing, depressing.**

**Once again, my apologies to all who are disappointed with this chapter.**


	5. The Royal Castle Of Draca

**Did I just post this?! Wait, turn back! Turn back! You amazing people don't deserve to get a migraine reading this s***!**

**WARNING: CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK…..**

"Are you _sure_ we're heading the right way?"

Ryuga gave Kyoya a look which clearly said, 'Now I know how _you_ feel.'

They had been walking for hours now; the three of them could not take each other's presence anymore. Tension increased while bickering ensued. No one was in the mood to joke around or even try to cheer up.

"Of course, I do. If not, why are we even walking?" Ryuga answered exasperatedly, rolling his flaxen-coloured eyes in the process.

"No, it's just; we walked past that bush three times already!" Azula yelled, pointing a trembling finger towards a small bush with strange purple flowers, which they had just walked past. Ryuga merely stared, dumbfounded, at the shrub while Kyoya approached it warily, entranced by its beauty.

"Are you crazy and suicidal? Don't you even know what that is? That's –"

"Deadly Nightshade." Kyoya breathed, steel-blue eyes widening.

"Yes. A _poisonous_ flower. Now, if the two of you will snap the hell out of it, we will be moving on. Deadly Nightshade is extremely dangerous." Azula snapped."Oh, by the way, Draca is Northwest from here, NOT WEST! You boys are so gullible. Let's go!"

"It's not our fault the Deadly Nightshade has entrancing powers!" Kyoya reasoned angrily.

"Whatever!"

**If you people are confused by this scene, I suggest that you stop reading…. Might save you from a bit of a headache…..**

**Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

Kyoya felt the empty feeling gnawing at his stomach, and heard the faint growling. He clutched his thin stomach and tried to endure the feelings of hunger. He knew how to contain hunger; just ignore it. It worked all the time for him. Anyway, this was not his first time he had felt hungry. Famine, though not common, had occurred countless times throughout Golden Lion Clan. He might have led a sheltered life, but Kyoya still knew what it was like to face hardship. He could still hear the cries of hunger from dying children, their ragged last breaths as they succumbed to starvation. He remembered Ymelda's desperate attempts to save them….. He shook his head violently. He should not think about his home any longer. He should now focus on getting to Draca, getting to safety…. and once more, the looming face of the man who looked so much like him appeared in his mind. Who was he? Why had he attacked his home? More importantly, why was he a mirror image of himself and Azula?

"We're here."

Ryuga's growl pulled Kyoya out of his thoughts. He noticed Azula watching him intently out of the corner of his eye. He kept forgetting that she could extract his thoughts or 'mind-reading' which Kyoya still liked to term it as. He should really learn to shut his mind down and close off. His thoughts were private, even towards Azula.

Kyoya surveyed the huge gate in front of them. It was made entirely out of stone. Intricate markings surrounded the stone gate of which Kyoya deciphered with ease.

"_The night may shade Draca in a deadly manner_." Kyoya read out loud.

"Sounds like a prophecy. Or those omen stuff people usually ignore. Why is it here?" Ryuga muttered.

The twins shrugged, now feeling a little apprehensive upon entering the city. The trio stood there quietly, not willing to make the first move. A wave of tension had seemingly crashed on them. Before, they had hoped and strived to reach Draca, but now, they only dreaded the place. Who would have thought a mere few words could cause someone to feel as such?

"Well," Kyoya started, puncturing the heavy silence," we won't get anywhere unless we move." With that, he stepped into the city, closely followed by the other two.

The first thing they encountered was- the aroma of food. Enticing… entrancing. They could not remember the last time they felt satiated with food. Their mouths watered, their stomachs growled, their hunger pangs getting the better of them as they grew stronger and stronger by the second and for a while, they lost sight of their real purpose of coming to Draca. However, they managed to pull themselves together, as they should.

Everywhere they looked, people were bustling around, buying, trading, selling or crafting. No one looked twice towards their direction. Only now Kyoya realised why Drazil told them to hide in Draca. They could easily blend in. The only problem that remained was accommodation. Ryuga suggested setting a small hut somewhere secluded but Kyoya dismissed that idea. Where were they going to find the materials? Just then, a large cart, pulled by a dozen or so white stallions, passed by slowly. What caught their attention was, neither the cart nor the horses, but, the smell that was emitted from the cart. It felt like a curse, though, as the overwhelming urge to steal engulfed Ryuga and Kyoya. Azula appeared unaffected, but only so. She watched the cart just like how a predator watches its prey. She licked her dry, parched lips and glanced at her brother and Ryuga, who looked dead on their feet. Finally, she snapped.

"That's it. I'm taking them." She growled.

"We've got no money. Besides, that guy looked upper-class to me…." Kyoya said nervously.

"I don't care! Did we come all the way here to watch other people stuff their faces? Did we come all the way here to starve? I'm not. Whatever you guys say, I'm not going to listen!"

"We don't want trouble! Have you forgotten whatever Drazil said? We should lie low!" Kyoya retorted.

"Don't tell me you don't tell me you don't feel hungry, too!" Azula sneered."Are you trying to act tough?"

"I _am_ hungry, but not starving. We've been worse off than this, Azula. Be reasonable."

"It was because of those blasted famine periods that I do NOT want to get hungry again! _Months_ of starvation! It is a wonder that I am alive right now! I'm so sick of the hunger!" She suddenly looked quite mad."Remember the time when I laid in bed, dying? I actually saw the Gates*, Kyoya. I was literally on the verge of dying. Then, she came along and said I wasn't ready to die yet. That I still have a purpose in life and brought me back. It was painful. You never knew….. You never felt….."

Ryuga was staring at her, open-mouthed, a blank expression settling on his face. Azula's eyes were glistening with tears, but her pride held them back in. Kyoya felt winded. Azula had never spoken of how she had suffered during the famine. He never knew Azula was badly traumatised by it, too. He had always thought of Azula as resilient. However, he was still against stealing, no matter how hungry he, or Azula, felt.

However, Azula regained her composure and behaved as if she had not broken down and blabbed about her past predicaments, proving Kyoya right that she was resilient. Giving Kyoya one final look, she turned and disappeared into the crowd before he could do anything else to stop her. Kyoya turned towards Ryuga, who said that Azula should need help and disappeared after her.

'_Not him, too!'_ Kyoya thought in disbelief, and decided to follow and stop them.

He weaved through the hustle and bustle of the city with difficulty, bumping into people, people bumping into him; he wondered how anyone could even move – or _breathe_. When he finally managed to catch up with the two potential thieves, he saw the driver of the cart grasping Azula's arm, towering over her like Infinity Mountain did. Ryuga, on the other hand, was trying to fend off an extremely savage (and angry) Alsatian. Kyoya realised that neither of them are using magic. Wondering how they became so foolish, he edged closer and closer until he was within earshot.

"You little piece of vermin! I'll teach you for stealing from me!"

"I didn't do it! Let me go!" Azula demanded.

To Kyoya's horror, the man's eyes suddenly began to turn from its bright green to emerald – a clear sign that he was about to use an enchantment.

"_Buern nahs!"_ Kyoya yelled, and in an instant, the man let go off Azula,flapping his hands as if they were burnt. The man gave Kyoya a look reminiscent of a troll and screeched,

"_Evirped Cigam!"_

Kyoya felt a bubbling sensation at the pit of his stomach and knew that his magic had been blocked. Now he understood why neither Azula nor Ryuga had used magic to protect themselves. The man stalked forwards and knocked Kyoya hard to the ground with a single blow.

"Guards!" He roared, and in an instant, towering, uniform-clad guards clutching spears marched forwards and saluted him. "Seize these pests and bring them before the king."

One of them tied the now-deprived-of-magic children together and forced them to march towards the castle. The man got into his cart and pulled off. The passers-by were now gathering around, and Kyoya could not handle the attention they had attracted. He turned towards his twin.

"What do you know? We attracted truble. Now trouble is going to attract more attention."

"SHUT UP!" One of the faceless guards ordered, slapping Kyoya at the back of his head.

**Z*Z*Z*Z*Z*Z**

"My Lord, I bring before you, thieves. They had tried to steal from my cart, but I managed to subdue them. What will your sentence be?" The man spoke respectfully to the king before him.

Kyoya wondered why such a trivial thing such as stealing would involve the king himself, unless-

"My, they're children, Cousin Doji. Of course they will be no match for you.' The king replied humorously.

'_Great,'_ thought Kyoya furiously, '_we've just tried to steal from royalty.'_

The three captives were kneeling before the king, who was seated comfortably in his throne. He had a kind face, fiery red hair and hazel-coloured eyes. A golden crown, adorned with the symbol of a four-footed dragon, settled on his head. He was dressed elegantly, as anyone of royalty should. His long red robes flowed down the length of his long body. On his chest was a phoenix crest.

Kyoya, who had his head hung, looked upwards and his blue eyes met the hazel ones.

"I don't think you are from around here. If you were, you would know better than to steal from my cousin, let alone steal. I am King Ryuusei. I rule Draca, of course. If not, why would I be called 'king', get it?" He gave a short chuckle."Anyway, back to business. Where are you from?"

Kyoya stumbled in his words while trying to answer the king. "We're from… Golden Lion Clan."

At his words, King Ryuusei's eyes widened and he sat up straight.

"Muramasa?" He croaked."What of him?"

The three captives remained silent, proving the king's suspicions to be true. King Ryuusei stood up and began pacing up and down. Kyoya's blue eyes followed his progress and he noticed two people standing behind the throne whom he had not noticed before. One of them was like a rather shorter version of the king himself. The other person was a beautiful lady with large, amethyst eyes, and she was a head taller than the aforementioned boy. When their eyes met, she blushed faintly.

King Ryuusei finally seemed to calm down, and settled back down in his throne, his face in his hands.

The driver of the cart, who was called Doji, and appeared to be the king's cousin, stepped forward, "My Lord?" but the king waved him away.

He looked up, his hands trembling and said," I'm sorry. But you will have to stay the night in the dungeons to serve your punishment." He was nothing like the kind-faced king they had encountered before, in fact, he looked rather cold. Doji looked unhappy. So was the blue-haired lady, apparently.

"My Lord," she spoke.

"Yes, Lady Hikaru?"

"You can't imprison them forever! Look at them, they're skin and bone! That's a good enough reason for trying to steal from Uncle Doji's cart!"

"If I may speak, My Lord. These pests have magic, and magic is only used for emergency purposes, and they used magic to _steal_. They do not appear to be in any emergency." Doji spoke waspishly.

"IS starving counted as an emergency? Because if it is, they didn't break any law by using magic!" Lady Hikaru argued back.

"Enough!" King Ryuusei roared. "Guards, take these children to the dungeons. Council is dismissed… NOW!"

Kyoya felt himself being dragged backwards. The king looked highly distressed. The blue-haired lady, seemingly Lady Hikaru, was trying to console the king. The aforementioned red-haired boy was staring at them sympathetically while Doji was shooting daggers at them. The guards dragged them down a couple flights of stone stairs before hurling them into an empty cell.

"Well, that went well," Azula commented sarcastically.

"So King Ryuusei knew Muramasa, huh?" Kyoya deduced.

"And seemed distraught about his… death," Azula added in.

"Come on, you guys. We need to sleep. Who knows what may come tomorrow." Ryuga said.

The trio found a patch of hay and made it as comfortable as possible before going to their corners and awaited sleep.

**YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, NOW GO GET SOME NICE COOLING ICEPACK TO EASE YOUR THROBBING HEADACHE.**

**Yehp…. That's about it. If you managed to reach the end of the chapter, I'm amazed you actually did. I mean come on, we don't need a genius to tell you readers that I have no skill whatsoever for writing.**

**I kinda have no motivation to continue with this crap for the time being…. Who reads crap, anyway? My eyes tear up while reading my own story. I can't believe I actually thought this crap would even deserve to be on the website.**

**So…. you haven't seen the last of me. We will meet each other again, with me as a reader, and you, as a better writer than I ever would be**

**I'm thinking of deleting the story, toooo….**


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